soderstrom



- A. SODERSTROM.

FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 17, I91?- 1,334,000,Patented Mar. 16, 1920. 8 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A mm Wm m; llllllllllllll 1W II E h A -1 fiw Q u m5. A

A. SODERSTRQM.

FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11., Hill.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920 8 sums-gum 2.

o x a uZfiocZersZrom,

A. SODERSTROM. FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 11,1911.

1 ,334:,0O0. Patented Mar. 16,1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

"(Sealers Z'rom,

Ma m

A. SODERSTROM.

FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 17. I911.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

a SHEETS-SHEET 4.

w M W h A. SODERSTROM.

FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 19H. ,3 ,000, Patented Mar. 16,1920.

8 SHEETS-SHE. s. R

A. SODERSTROM.

FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11; 1917- 1,334,000. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

8 sHEEIS-SHEET l.

APSODERSTROM.

FURNACE DRAWING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I7, 19!].

Patented Mar. 16-, 1920.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

OZ w e ITED STAfrns PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT sons-esteem, or HOMESTEAD; rnnusrnvrma.

FUENAdE-DRAEWING provide a. furnace drawing machine with accompanying;drawings-, hereinafter fully novel means for gripping the heated metalin Withchn-Wing the metal from the heating furnace,v and also to providenovel means for actuatingthe grippingmechanism in en gaging andreleasing the metal.

'llhe means preferably employed for gripping the heated metal is afpairof tongs, and it is a further object of the present invention to providenovel means forv connectinglthe tongswith the tongs-actuating means soas to obtain as positive and eflicient opening and closing of the jawsof the tongs, and to hold the tongs in open or in closed position whenfound desirable-or necessary.

It is a common practice to havethe. furnace floor inclined downwardlyfrom the charging opei'i-ing to the Withdrawingopening. and in that typeof drawing apparatus which provides for moving the gripping mechanism ina horizontal plane,011ly,- the major portion of the Weight ofthe heatedmetal is sustainedby the drawing mecha.

nism. because the forward portion of the heated metal is not supportedby the inclined floor of the furnace as-the metal is being drawn out ofthe furnace. In view of this objection, it is an important object of thepresent invention to providefor relieving the drawing apparatus of theWeight of the metal as it is being Withdrawn fron'rt-he furnace. Thisobject is accomplished by a mounting of the gripping mechanism so thatit may move downwardly with the bi llet as the latter travels along andremains on the inclined floor of the furnace.

-A still further object of the invention is the provision of a furnacedrawing machine having the novel constructions; combinationgand.arrangements of parts s'hovvnin the Specification of Letters Patent.

"larger scale that remnants.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

Application filc'i Septefnher 17, 1917. Serial No) 191,819.

described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it ofcourse being understood that various changes may be made, Within thescope of the appended claims without departing. from the spirit orsacriifJicO- ng any of the advantages of the invem Figural is a planshowing thefront or tongs end of a furnace drawing machine embodying thenovel features of my invention. r

Fig.1 is a-siinilarp1an showing the rear end of the furnace drawingmachine.

Fi'gl 2- is a side elevation on a larger scale of the part of theapparatus'showir in Fig.1. Fig. 2 is side elevation showing ona part ofthe apparatus" illustrated in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of. the apparatus viewed from the front ortongs end thereof,

"Fig"; 4: is a detail plan showing. the tongs and tongs operatingmechanism.

Fig. his a; side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatusillustrated in Fig.4 Fig. 6 is. a plan showing details in theconstruction of the elect'ro nagnets used in opening and closing thetongs.

Fig. 7 is a SGCtlOllEtl side elevation of the apparatus shown-in Fig. 6,the section being taken on the line Z.7of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the ap paratns illustrated in Figs. 6and 7, the

section being-taken on the line 88of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation, partly in sec tion, of the apparatus shownin Figs. 4; and I 5, the section being taken on the irregular line 99ofFig'. 4. I

The present invention is primarily de signed for With-draw ing billetsand the like I irom aheating furnace, a conventional type ofwhich hasbeen shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein :2 designates a horizontalheatnig furnace having a series of discharging or drawing openings inthe opposite Walls, each charging opening being in alinement 'Wllil). adrawing opening, is commen in this type of furnace. The drawing sideonly of the furnace has been shown in Fig. 2, and a single drawingopening is shown at3-. I

On thatside' of the furnace which has tending across the entire seriesof furnaces] naces to the reducing rolls where the metal is to be rolledinto a dilferent form, or to some other place of use.

Disposed in parallelism with the delivery track l is a drawing machinetrack 6, the parallel relation bein shown in Figs. 1 and 3 ef-the dings. Sn this drawing machine track 6 is mounted the truck which carriesthe drawing machine embodying the features of the present invention.

The truck for supporting the operating partsof the present drawingmachine includes side girders 9 and end girders l0.Flanged'tra'ck-wheels ll support the truck and travel on the track 6.Que set of these track wheels 11 is driven by an electric motor 12-,which is suitably geared to the (:ountershaitlS, and the latter beinggeare-f to each of the adjacent flanged wheels ll by suitable gearing.such for instance as shown in l and 3, wherein 14E designates a pinionon the shaft 13-, and 15 designates a gear associated with the flangedtrack wheel 11. The electric motor 12 is a reversing motor so that thetruck may be moved in either direction upon the track 6.

Inasmuch as the furnace drawing truck is located remote from the drawingside of the furnace or furnaces, and as it is necessary to reach intothe furnace and grip the heated metal in order to draw the latter out ofthe furnace, the tongs or metal gripping mechanism is mounted to travelupon a jib or guideway, preferably made up of spaced vchannel beams 16suitably secured across the top of the truck at the middle thereof andextending laterally therefrom almost to the furnace, and at a height tooverhang the track i on which is mounted the transfer car'5. As bestshown in Fig. 8, it will be seen that the channels 16 have their websvertical and their flanges extending in wardly, the lower flangesconstituting a track, or to be more correct, a support for track rails17, on which the tongs and their controlling means are mounted so as totravel back and forth in a direction toward and away from the drawingopening of the furnace.

The tongs carriage'consists preferablyof a rectangular open frame 18,best shown in Fig. i of the drawings, which frame is of a size to fitbetween'the channels 16, and is provided at each of itslongitudinalsides with a groove or guideway 19 which receives theadjacent track 17, whereby the carriage is supported upon the jib andmay slide back and forth on the track members- If desired, a removableliner or wear plate 20 be provided upon the upper side o'f the groove orguideway 19, and the carriage may be provided with one or more oilpockets 21 having outlet openings 22 extending through the bottomsthereof and through the wear plates 20 so as to provide for efiectivelylubricating the track on which the tongs carriage reciprocates. A tongssupporting arm 23 underlies the carriage and extends a suitable distancein front thereof. This arm is mounted to rock or tilt vertically upon atransverse shaft 24 located across the front of the tongscarriage andabout midway of the length of the arm. The arm is in the form of ahollow ribbed casting and is provided at its rear end with a horizontalopening to accommodate a horizontal abutment 25 extending forwardly fromthe rear end of the tongs carriage l8. Buffer springs 26 and 27 areprovided above and below the abutment 25 so as to cushion the tiltingmovement of he arm 23. The lower? spring 27 bears at its lower endagainst an abutment 28 extending forwardly from the rear end of the arm23.

The upper spring 26 extends through an opening 29 in the top of the armand engages the vertically adjustable abutnient 30 in the form of ascrew plug fitting in the threaded portion of the opening 29 andprovided with a lock nut 31, whereby the tension of the upper spring 26may be adjusted. B reference to Fig. l of the drawings, it will be seenthat the threaded abutment 30 is provided in its top with a wrench seatfor V convenience in turning the abutment.

The jaws 32 of the arms are pivoted intermediate of their ends, as at33, upon the under side and at the forward end of the arm 23, theforward gripping ends of the jaws projecting suitable distance in frontof the arm. At their rear ends, the jaws are connected by suitabletoggle levers 3a which are in turn pivotally connected at the front endof the thrust bar 35, which is mounted to reciprocate in suitablebearings 36 provided'on the under side of the arm 23 and located beneaththe tongs carriage. It will be quite apparent that a forward movement ofthe bar will separate the forward ends of the jaws 32, while a rearwardmovement of the bar will force said ends of the jaws together, therebyproviding for releasing and gripping the metal which is to be hauled bythe apparatus.

For moving the thrust bar 35 back and forth, there is a rock shaft 37mounted transversely across the under side of the tongs carrying arm 23and about midway of the length of the tongs carriage. From the middle ofthis rocls shaft there depends a crank arm 38 in the form of a yoke, asbest illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings. This yoke straddlesthe bar 35, and each arm of the yoke engages a pin 39 extendingoutwardly from the bar 35'. It is preferred to mount the pins 39 upon asleeve l0, capable of adjustment longitudinally upon the bar 35, andheld rigidlyin itsadjusted position by means of suitable nuts llengaging threaded portions on the bar; It is quite apparent that-byrocking the shaft 37 o cated at opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter of the carriage, one pair being at the front and the otherat therearofthe carriage. Each solenoid hasv a core e4 which Works through anopening l5-inthe ton of the ton s arm2-3; The lower ends otthe cores ofeach pair of-solenoids are connected by a cross headv 46 shown in Fig. 5of the drawings, from which depends an arm 4:7

having alocse pivotal connection 48 With a crank arm 49 extendinglaterally from the rock shaft 37. As one set 01? solenoids is loeated atone side of therock shaft 37, and the other pair of solenoids is locatedat the other side of the rock shaft 37 it will be seen that byenergizingone pair of solenoids and deenergizing the other pair of,solenoidgthe rock shaft 37 maybe rocked or swung in either direction,-and the thrust bar 35 moved forwarder back in the bearings 36, as desired, and at any position ofthe sliding tongs carriage 18 on thejib-formed by the beams 16. It also will be apparent that while thesolenoids 4L2 or solenoids .3. are.

energized, the thrust bar 35 Will be held against longitudinal movementin the bearings 36, and that Without movement of the bar 85, the tongswill be held in their open or closed position, as the case maybe.

For supplying the solenoidsarith current, upper and lower conductorbarsfiO and ii are provided .for each pair ot solenoids;

shown, as the specific ariancement thereot does not form part of thepresent invention. Each post is provided with a suitable brace 5'?rising from the top of the arm-23 The purpose of pivoting the travelingconest amt- 4 0th? br cket- 55 55 pe i drawings.

- In operating solenoids Will only: bejused to, open the tongs,

mit: ofthe up: and down'niov'cinentof the rear endof the arm 23 Withoutbreaking the connection between the solenoidsand th COlli'll'lCt-OP bars'50 and 51.

F or the purpose of I moving the tongscarriage back and forth on thejibformed by the channel barlG, there is a cable arrangement consisting ofa Winding drum 58 mounted upon the truck 10- and driven by a suitableelectric motor 59, (See F 1). A cable '60 has an intermediate portionWound around this drum. One end portion of the cable extends forwardlyand around a sheave or pulley (31 suitably mounted at the forward end ofthe jib. The extremity of this portion of the cable is connected to theupper-end'of the vertical arm (30 on the rear end of the thrust bar35,

adjacent to the rear, portion of'thetongscarriage. (See Figs. 1 and 2).:The other end portion ofthecable' extends formi'rdly and'is adjustablyconnected to the-lugs erears '60? on the arm 60 located at the rearportion of the tongs-carriage and, through the medium of the thrust bar,is connected to the tongscarriage, so that by rotating the Winding drum58 the thrustbar may be moved in its bearings 36 toopen, or close thetongs Without the aid of the solenoids and.

the carriage maybe moved back and forth on the jib. r

Suitably located upoiitlie truck 10 is a controller 62' .for thesolenoid. Another controller 63 is-provided fort-he drum inotor 59,While-the motor '12 is controlled by a controller 54;. mounted on thetruck 10 adjacent one another in order to be underthe immediate controlof the operator. i

F or the purpose of stopping the movement buffers are located at theopposite end ot thejib, as indicatedat 6.7 so as to stop carriage at theoppositeliinit of its mo? ment, the stationary. bumpers 66 01 riage,Wellas the springbufi'er a lying the jib $16,.as will be readily.nnde nvstood by reference to Figs. 2 and 9 otthe the present apparatus the thetongs,ordinarily, being closed by the relative movement of the tongs andtongs supporting carriage. or .iramex 18.; When found -,necessary ordesirable, however, the solenoids l3 will be used in moving the tongsinto closed position. v i

In the ordinary operation of the-apparai-s tus, the controller 63 is setto cause the 1110- tor 59 to rotate so astoimote the rope; or

cable 411 th d re ti n of the. arrows at or These three controllers areFig. 1, and such movement of the cable is continued until the tongs arein position within the furnace 2, in readiness to grasp the end of abloom 69. The controller 63 is then set to reverse the motor 59, and.movement of the motor in this direction causes a pull on the rope 60 inthe direction of the arrows B of'l ig. 1,

At the beginning of the movement of the cable 60 in this direction thethrust bar is caused to move longitudinally in its bearings 36, 36 onthe carriage 18, and such movement of the thrust bar relative to thecarriage causes the toggle links 34 to close the jaws of the tongs 32 onthe bloom 68. Continued movement of the cable 60 in the direction of thearrows B causes the carriage or frame 18 to also move in this direc-vtion, so that the bloom 68 is pulled from the furnace.

As the tongs approach the end of this backward movement, and after theheated bloom 68 has cleared the furnace and is in a position above thetransfer car 5, the con: troller 62 is moved into position to energizethe solenoids 43. The cores of these solenoids then move the thrust bar35 forwardly in its bearings 36, 36 so as to open the tongs jaws 32 andrelease the bloom 69. The movement of the carriage or frame 18 is thencontinued until the tongs are clear of the end of the bloom 68 which nowrests on the transfer car 5.

The transfer car 5 is then moved on its track to deliver the bloom to afeed table or other place of delivery.

lVhen desired, however, the controller 62 is moved from its neutralposition into position to energize the solenoids 43, and as when thecontroller is in this position the solenoids are deenergized, the coresof the solenoids 43 will be thrust downwardly and the shaft 37 will becaused to rock and move the thrust bar 35 forwardly in its bearings 36,and thereby open the tongs jaws bz into their open position beforestarting the motor 59 to move the tongs toward the furnace 2. i

In such case, the tongs are opened by manipulation of the controller 62so as to energize the solenoids 4:3 and denergize the solenoids 42,whereby the cores of the solenoids 43 will be thrust downwardly and theshaft 37 rocked so as to move the thrust bar 35 forwardly, therebyseparating the tongs jaws 32. When this has been done, the controller 53is manipulated so as to start the motor 59 to move the cable 60 in thedirection of the arrows A and move the tongs carriage forwardly andthereby thrust the tongs through the drawing opening 3 of the furnace.

When the tongs have thus been thrust into the furnace astraddle of theheated billet, shown in dotted lines at 68 in Fig. 2'

of the drawings, the controller 62 is manipulated to dee'nergize thesolenoids l3 and energize the solenoids 42, thereby to move the thrustbar .35 rearwardly and close the tongs jaws upon the billet, whereuponthe controller 63 is manipulated to reverse the motor 59 and therebymove the cable 60 in the direction of the arrows B and move the tongscarriagerearwardly upon the jib 16 t9 draw the heated billet 68 out ofthe furnace and onto the transfer car 5. The motor 59 is then stoppedand the solenoids 42 are energized which opens the tongs and releasesthe bloom 68. The backward movement of the carriage and tongs is thencontinued until the tongs are clear of the end of the bloom.

The transfer car, with the heated billet thereon, may then be run ofl toany desired point, and the furnace drawing apparatus may be shifted toanother drawing opening of the same furnace or to another furnace bymanipulating the controller 64: to start the motor 12' which causes thetruck 10 to travel on the track 6.

t is customary to have the bottom of a heating furnace inclineddownwardly from the charging opening to the drawing opening, and in suchdrawing apparatus as always maintains the tongs in the same horizontalplane, it is quite apparent that a large portion of the weight of theheated billet is sustained by the drawing apparatus, because the forwardend of the billet is moved by the tongs in a horizontal direction andconsequently is not supported by the inclined bottom of the furnace. Inthe present apparatus, the billet 68 is permitted to travel upon and beentirely supported by the inclined bottom of the furnace, for the reasonthat the tongs carrying arm 23 is permitted to rock or tilt verticallyon the shaft 2% under the weight of the billet. WVhen the billet hasbeen drawn out of the furnace and onto the transfer car 5, the jaws ofthe tongs are released from the billet, and thereupon the tongs carryingarm 23 automatically resumes its normally horizontal position under theinfluence ofthe spring 27. The two springs 26 and 27, of course, cushionthe arm and prevent any undesirable jar when the arm returns to itsnormal position.

Having thus describedthe invention, what I claim, is:

1. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the combination of a support, areciprocating carriage mounted to travel thereon, metal grippingmechanism, and means connecting the metal gripping mechanism with thecarriage and permitting vertical movement of the metal gripping meansunder the weight of the metal which is being withdrawn from the furnace.

2. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the

combination of a support, a reciprocating carriage mounted to travelthereon, metal gripping mechanism mounted upon the carriage for verticalmovement thereon, and a tension device permitting depression of themetal gripping mechanism under the weight of the metal being handled andalso operat ing to restore the metal gripping mechanism to its normalelevation when released from the metal being handled.

3. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the combination of a reciprocatorycarriage, an arm pivoted thereon, metal gripping mechanism carried bythe arm, and a tension device yieldably maintaining the arm in itsnormal position on said carriage.

l. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the combination of a reciprocatorycarriage, an arm pivoted to tilt vertically thereon, metal grippingmechanism carried by the arm, and a spring tension device yieldablymaintaining the arm in its normal position on said carnage.

5. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the.

combination of a reciprocable carriage, an arm pivoted at anintermediate point in its length to tilt vertically thereon, metalgripping tongs carried by one end of the arm, and tongs actuating meanscarried by the opposite end of said arm.

6. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the combination of a carriage, an armthereon,

metal gripping tongs carried by the arm,

and tongs actuating means including a thrust bar connected to the tongsand carried by the arm, a rock shaft mounted upon the tongs carrying armand provided with a crank arm associated with the thrust bar to move thelatter endwise, and means mounted on the tongs carrying arm associatedwith the rock shaft for rocking the latter.

7. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the combination of a carriage, atongs carrying arm mounted to tilt vertlcally thereon, metal grippingtongs carried by the arm, a thrust,

bar carried'by the arm and connected to the tongs for actuating thesame, a rock shaft carried. by the arm and provided with a yokestraddling the thrust bar, a sleeve adjustable longitudinally upon thethrust bar and .provided with pins engaging the arms of the yoke,andmeans carried by the tongs carrying arm for actuating the rock bar.

.8. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the

combination of a carriage, a tongs carrying arm mounted ,to tiltvertically thereon, metal gripping tongs earned by "the arm, sole-.noids' mounted on the-arm and associated with the tongs for opening andclosing the same, an electric conductor in parallelism with thelpath ofthe carriage, and a vertically movable traveling contact associated withtheconductor and the solenoids.

9. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the

combination of a Wheeled truck, a jib carried thereby, a carriagemounted to travel upon and underlying the 1b, a tongs carrying arni:hung upon the under side of the carriage and mounted to tllt vertlcallythereon, metal gripping tongs hung from the arm,means on the arm foropening and closing the tongs, and a tension device yieldablymaintaining the tongs carrylng arm 1n 1ts normal position.

10. In a furnace drawing apparatus, the

combination of a wheeled truck, a jib carried thereby, a carriagemounted to travel

